in with part of the big band he was touring with at the time.As I am a Louisiana native

as is Harry we began to talk.He gives me Wynton’s hook up info and I begin a year long process of corressponding and follow thru on all communications.At some point in the process Wynton gives me his contact stuff directly.cell number and address etc. So on Feb. the 14th 1992 we finally met in Tampa.On a beautiful sunday I pull up curbside and walk into the Tampa Theater to find Wynton who would be expecting me.David Robinson is my first contact on sight and is still his road manager,with Billy Banks of course.When I arrived I asked

for Wynton,telling them my name.Wynton comes out to greet me and immediately asks if I’m hungry ? I dont remember what I said,but we ended up walking to a Burger King ,(he blew off the sound check)Along the way he said hello to everyone,homeless people,people at the bus stop etc..When we got to BK he wouldn’t even let me buy him a coke.He paid.

When we arrived back at the theater we went into a practice room and played for 2 hours Wess “warm daddy” Anderson joined us and it was music and chick talk.At the end of the 2 hours Wynton asked me to sit in at the concert that nite.I couldn’t believe Wynton Marsalis just asked me to play in concert with him.2500 people.Oh No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was not touching earth anymore and my hearing was blocked like I was going down with a jetliner.My vision narrowed to pin needles and I couldn’t breath,Plus I didn’t now believe that he really said this and that he was serious.I showed up that night very early carefully hiding my horn in the back of the theater.You see,I may still run and chicken out so I didn’t want anyone to see me.Scared to death.Plus if I accepted the invitation I would be totally ad/libbing because we didn’t discuss what tunes we would do.The tension was strong for me.Although I had free admittance to all areas in the Theater,I went to the box office and bought a ticket and until intermission I was hiding in Row 20.At intermission I went backstage and Wynton saw me and said"You Ready”? As the show continued he brought me out the curtain and introduced me by name and Wynton starts snapping his fingers and then everything was now right with the world.End on tension.Marcus Printup was sitting in too.

Then in 2004 I was playing Taps for kia marines in Afghanistan and Iraq and asked Wynton to narrate a patriotic message that I had written for local marines.He jumped at the chance and added some text .So this is how I met Wynton Marsalis.Wynton has stood up to my friend test and we call each other friends.

Gregorie Johnson

music name gregorie howard.

I have just made my first cd. The experience with Wynton pushed me to this place as a motivating factor because Wynton is for real all the way.

Greg

the narration is on this web site type in greg johnson or “United Marine”

Youtube has a message with a version I did later by recording my trumpet behind it.

type in wynton marsalis marine and ” United Marine “will be your first choice.

Wynton not only added some text to my original message that I simply left it in.Also he edited my message too.Example;my original message had ,“every marine is a fighter”,but when Wynton sent me his recording via my cell phone he changed “every marine is a fighter to ,“every marine is a warrior”.Warrior being the only change in this example but small changes are important.Besides this is Wynton Marsalis and what did I think.He helps out to the greater good in all areas of his life.He has a tremendous heart so seek him out and be respectful.No one gets an audience with him in a serious way unless respect is king.

Oh yea Wynton gave me a new trpt.at his office in N.Y. when Delta crushed my bell.I later gave that horn to Wess ‘Warm"Anderson,who has remained and developed into a friendship from that original meeting with Wynton.What goes around comes around…................. this was when Warm moved up north to teach leaving his Baton Rouge roots behind.No more parties,..Boo